Why are so Many People in Denial About Their Weight Problem?

It is difficult to face up to a weight problem, as once you do, you then have to take action to change the situation. Sometimes, it is just easier to bury your head in the sand – to keep on eating your usual diet and piling on the pounds – than it is to address the fact that you're unhappy about your size and concerned about the implications for your health. You can't ignore the problem forever, though, as eventually you will find yourself struggling to find clothes that fit and feeling miserable about yourself, whilst also developing health issues that wouldn't be a problem if you were lighter.

If you're in denial about your weight problem, rest assured you're not alone. Many people avoid tackling their weight until they are so heavy they are classified as 'morbidly obese' and have no choice but to lose weight or else come to a premature end. Clearly, it is better to try to address a weight problem before it takes over your life and you have to confront it head-on. Losing weight is a challenge, so it is understandable why most people would prefer to ignore the issue of their weight, but you only make the whole process harder for yourself if you keep putting it off.

You have to be extremely motivated to lose weight and to keep on losing the pounds week after week, and when you have over 100 pounds to lose, it makes it all the more difficult to stay focused, whereas if you're only 20 or 30 pounds overweight you can reach your goal sooner. However, most people try not to contemplate the idea that they could ever let themselves get that heavy. They watch these documentaries about dangerously overweight individuals trying to lose weight and believe that their weight problem will never get that bad.

Yet, the chances are if they continue to lead an unhealthy lifestyle, gaining weight as a result, they could quite easily end up with such a weight problem. The trouble is when members of your family are also overweight, as well as friends and neighbours, being overweight seems normal and so there is no real motivation to lose weight. You don't have to worry about standing out when all your friends and relatives are the same size. Plus, with an increasing number of plus-size shops you can dress fashionably and look nice, so that you may not see the need to lose weight.

Recognising that you have a weight problem means that you need to consider what has caused you to gain weight, so you can change the situation and stop it from happening again. If you're an emotional eater, this can be a painful process, and even if you just eat food because you love the taste, you still have to find a way to change your eating habits in order to lose weight. Any kind of change is difficult, which is why most people would prefer to believe that they're either a healthy weight or only a few pounds overweight and that the extra pounds are hardly likely to cause them any damage.

Are You in Denial About Your Weight?

If you're in denial about being overweight, it obviously means that you have no reason to try to alter the situation. Sometimes, it is just easier to tell yourself that your weight isn't a problem and that it doesn't really bother you, because then you don't have to deal with it. However, remaining in denial about your weight problem won't help you in the long run. If you fail to tackle your weight problem, it may get worse over the years and, in the end, carrying too much extra weight could have a detrimental impact on your health.

One of the most common signs you're in denial about your weight problem is your reluctance to step on the scales. If you don't know how much you weigh, how can it be a problem? If you never bother to weigh yourself you don't know that you're gaining weight and what the impact of your eating and exercise habits on your size is. Bad eating habits can become worse, so that your calorie consumption increases over time, but you don't realise this because you have no idea how much you weigh. It may only be when you go to see your doctor that you finally realise how heavy you are.

Your doctor obviously can't force you to step on the scales, but if your health is suffering because of your weight, it is something your doctor is going to point out, whether you want to hear it or not. Unfortunately, even when your doctor indicates that it would be a good idea for you to lose weight, you immediately tell yourself that being overweight is in your genes or that perhaps you have a thyroid problem that makes it harder to stay slim. You know how hard it is to lose weight and so it is easier to tell yourself you're only slightly overweight or that you can't do anything about it, even if you wanted to.

Eventually, being overweight will catch up with you, though. You may be able to avoid the scales, but you can't ignore the reflection in your mirror or the fact that whenever you go shopping for clothes you have to buy them in a larger size. At the end of the day, it is your health which is likely to deteriorate if you don't do something to lose a few pounds. Being overweight puts you at greater risk of heart disease and diabetes. You may not want to think about the possibility of becoming ill, but it is worth considering. Although you may be in good health now, this may not be the case for long if you continue to put on weight.

Are You in Denial About Your Weight Problem?

If you are in denial about the fact you have a weight problem, you are not alone. Many people cannot face up to the fact that they have let themselves go and that they have put on so much weight that it could be damaging their health. After all, it is much easier to bury your head in the sand about being overweight than it is to confront the issue head-on and deal with it.

To reverse a weight problem, you obviously have to make changes to your eating and exercise habits. Unfortunately, introducing any kind of change to your life is always difficult and so it is tempting to avoid dealing with your weight, even if it is making you unhappy. You tell yourself that your weight isn’t really that bad and spend your time comparing yourself to people who are even heavier than you. If you can still get about and aren’t confined to a bed, as the people with a ‘real’ weight problem are, you are able to convince yourself that you don’t have to do anything about it.

However, morbidly obese individuals were not always that way. Those with a serious weight problem were not always as heavy as they end up. When you don’t want to find yourself in the position of having hundreds of pounds to lose you have to take action early on. You can’t keep pretending that your weight doesn’t bother you and that you’re just as healthy as your slimmer friends. If you sit around eating junk food and never bother to exercise, the chances are you aren’t as fit and healthy as you could be.

You may decide not to step on the scales, because if you don’t know how much you weigh then you don’t know how serious the problem is. Of course, you know when you’re putting on weight, because every time you go shopping for clothes you find yourself having to buy them in a larger size. Perhaps that is why you choose to avoid clothes shopping altogether, especially when there are only a few stores that stock clothes in your size.

Even if you try to kid yourself that your weight isn’t an issue, when you develop health problems and your quality of life begins to suffer you can no longer do so. If your weight prevents you from doing the things you want to do and you have negative feelings about the way you look, it is time to take action. Indeed, it would be preferable to deal with your weight before it reaches such a stage, but the main thing is that you finally face up to the fact your weight is a problem, so that you can take the action needed to facilitate weight loss.